Now&Me @nowandme
Although understood and practised since time immemorial through yoga, the mind-body relationship is still a conversation that goes under the wraps while talking about mental health in today’s popular discourse. Today we have with us Meenakshi Atawnia to talk to us about Mental Health and Yoga 🧘🏼
About Meenakshi Atawnia-
Meenakshi Atawnia is a trauma-informed Counseling Psychologist who is based in Delhi where she has her own private practice. She is also a certified Yoga Practitioner and her aim is to combine the concepts of Psychology and Yoga philosophy in her therapeutic space. Her approach is eclectic with CBT and client-centred therapy at its core along with techniques from Psychodynamic as well as Positive Psychology. She believes in holistic healing and thus her focus also includes Mind-Body wellness. She always tries to provide her clients with a safe, confidential and non-judgmental space to express themselves and be open and vulnerable. She specializes in concerns related to Anxiety, Trauma, Burnout/Imposter Syndrome, Depression, Relationship Issues, and others.
Feel free to ask her any and all questions aligning with the theme in the comments section without a smidge of hesitation! ⬇️
P.S- You can also book a therapy session with Meenakshi here!
Remember that asking questions shows strength, not weakness. 🤗💐
🧡 Ask away and stay informed! 🧡
I missed an opportunity
( I missed going to a prestigious institution due to some bad circumstances) and I regret a lot and Idk what I wanna do further. Currently I am pursuing bba.
But all this is affecting my mental health that I ve started getting anxiety attacks.
I get a feeling that people who didn’t deserve moved ahead and I am gonna lag behind in life due to this
Meenakshi @meenakshi_atawnia
Hi there
Since you have mentioned that there have been some anxiety attacks which you are experiencing, my first priority would be to address that concern.
Try being mindful of the triggers regarding these anxious feelings. One good way to judge is when you feel that you are spiraling, reflect on the initial thought that started the cycle.
Try simple breathing exercises, simple Pranayamas to relax your body in the moment. It works great with Grounding Techniques. These are very simple self management techniques that can help.
Coming to the bigger concern i.e. your career and the lost opportunity. Please ask yourself, is this the only opportunity that will lead to your desired path or is there anything else you can do right now, since that has passed?
Ask yourself this, if I could get through something prestigious once, what can I do again to find similar opportunity now?
We often worry too much about our past especially while going through anxiety, that sometimes the reality of present is lost on us.
Talk to somebody, a guide, a counselor, or just journal simple Q&A. It will definitely provide you more Insight.
I ve been getting them cz I think I am gonna lag behind in life.
I have a fear that I ll not earn and will have to be dependent on someone.
Idk I compare alot, I know it’s bad but I am not able to overcome it
Meenakshi @meenakshi_atawnia
In that case, you need to explore the ‘whys’ behind these concerns.
The doom thinking here definitely seems a reason too for the anxious thoughts. Then you may assess why do you feel the need to compare so much? Is the consistent thought pattern of failure a way to avoid something bigger?
These questions can be explored with someone. But before that, do answer the question in previous post, that may help you with more insight in yourself.
Also try journaling your thoughts in Q&A format. That’s also a helpful exercise.
Yes these comparisons are ruining my mental health and then of course social media is more than enough for ruining it.
When I see the clg names of my ex batchmates on their bios I feel jealous honest I feel guilty I feel like I deserved it
I know God might have planned something bigger for sure but Idk I feel guilty, devastated, baffled and I just wanna hit myself sometimes
I can’t even express myself sometimes
I feel guilty if I upload my pic on social media thinking what will people think of me that I didn’t get into get clg and here I am smiling.
I know it’s toxic but Idk
Meenakshi @meenakshi_atawnia
Yes these emotions and feelings are absolutely valid. Making them an extremely frustrating experience.
There seems to be a loop of self doubt. Simple reflective exercises can really be helpful.
Meenakshi @meenakshi_atawnia
Yes these emotions and feelings are absolutely valid. Making them an extremely frustrating experience.
There seems to be a loop of self doubt. Simple reflective exercises can really be helpful.
Meenakshi @meenakshi_atawnia
Hello
I am so glad you have brought up this question. It is one of the most common misconceptions that you might get ‘cured’ by doing yoga.
Firstly, the word cured has high stakes attached to it. Just to explain with an example, though you take medicine while recovering from cold/flu, does that mean you get cured for lifetime after that?
It is same with mental health. They come and go as per the stressors and their intensity throughout our lifetime.
Secondly, just as physical health problems, when you combine yoga with other treatment options, you get better results, and even long lasting ones. Same goes for Mental health.
When the psychological therapy is combined with yoga philosophy, there is a holistic Mind-Body healing that happens.
I would also like to mention here, that mental health concerns very well manifest in your body as ailments. A Psychologist who is trained to work on both spectrums can help you better than a simple yoga practitioner as only the Psychologist is trained in handling the mental health concerns.
Hope that this was informative :)
Hi Menakshi,
It’s been 7 months now my husband was attracted to his brother wife . Now it’s been a months he said he had no feelings for her and said sorry and feel guilty because I am 9 months pregnant now. He did such things when I was pregnant. But he said he is not passionate about me though he love me. He still don’t do a full conversation with me. He hardly take my ph call and reply my msg back. He said to me he is not talking to her now but I found he is still chatting with her and currently he is suffering from depression and she is helping her to cope with it.
I do love him a lot. I thought I will forgive him. But when he talk to her and think about her I feel so hurt and like crying. I also said if there is anything you’ve been doing forcibly just tell me I will go out of his life. But he want me to stay with him because he said he still love me. If I go he cannot come out of depression.
Can you please help me what can I do??
Because for me still hard to forget whatever happens
Meenakshi @meenakshi_atawnia
Hi
It can be so difficult to watch someone you love and them acting this way. Seems that there is quite some pain and grief that you are feeling.
But before answering your question, I would like to ask you about your reason to stay.
- Is the reason you want to stay is love and his depression or something more?
- Have you asked him is there a way you can support him through his depression? If yes, has that helped?
- What do you want from this relationship? Are those expectations being met? If not, what more can you do to seek those expectations.
These are just few questions where you can begin with. One good way to start exploring about relationships is through first exploring your own needs a d expectations. Reasons behind why you may or may not want to stay. And then extend to the relationship aspect.
The reason I am staying with him is love and his depression where I want to help him to get out of it.
Though it has helped but sometimes if I feel hurt I just say to him like the way he care or think about them or her and he is out of my pregnancy journey. He says it triggers his depression and also feel sorry for me at the same time.
I want assurances and love and I want him to think about our family which I am gonna have soon. To be excited being a dad and being a family. That is not being met. Hope once he sees the child he will realise and be happy to have a family
Meenakshi @meenakshi_atawnia
I do see that you are holding up and living with that grief of unfulfilled relationship for both of you. It is difficult to be the partner who has to support the other one through their mental health struggles.
It does gets exhausting sometimes, and it’s completely valid. We are all humans. And it’s definitely admirable how you have thrived with everything else alongwith pregnancy.
But the question remains:
- does mental health problems allows for emotional betrayal?
- How does this dynamic affects you really? How it makes you feel? What emotions does it stirs up?
- finally, does a child should bear the burden of improving relationships between parents?
I hope these are few questions that you may sit with and reflect. Maybe they provide some insight or you can always figure out these things with an MHP.
I don’t think it should allow emotional betrayal. But I get really scared what if he do something or he is just saying me that.
Well I have been depressed from the ivf process I been gone through since 2018. I thought he was with me through this journey but actually he wasn’t. He said since that period he was going far from me. He said it’s all over with her. But he is still sending her msg secretly. And I saw ❤️ emoji text msg from him or her which I don’t know. It’s really hurt me and he hardly takes my ph call and reply my text. And I always find at the same time if she ring him he takes the ph call. Then again he says it is not like that his ph was in silence. There are many moments. It really hurts me. And I am really scared if I says something he might do something because he says so.
I will not let my child go through this. And I don’t want him to grow without father. I will keep silence and pretend to be happy for him. At the end there is a question why I loved him so much.
I don’t know what should I do??
Meenakshi di look so beautiful 😍
I’m feeling so sad and depressed in life…not able to study…I need help
Meenakshi @meenakshi_atawnia
Hi there
I am not aware of the reason behind your sadness but I really hope you can find the proper support you seek.
When we are struggling with our mental health, it really affects our ability to function properly or optimally in our daily lives. We are unable to concentrate on the work or studies, keep doing tasks that procrastinates or avoids important tasks and/or just indulge in ignorance.
These factors can create more loops of unhappiness.
Fortunately, you are on the correct platform to seek right support.
Penguin @arpitabanik
I have way too much trust issues, I’m in a relationship rn and I suspect him too much, it’s always on my mind that he’s cheating me behind my back or he’ll someday. It seems like he really loves me as whenever I have nervous breakdowns getting all insecure he listens to my venting, but I really want this trust issues to either go away or know a way where I won’t ever end up getting betrayed.
I’m seeing psychiatrists and a psychotherapist, it’s been a month, the uneasy feeling I get while overthinking negative scenarios reduced but isn’t going away and driving me crazy…
Meenakshi @meenakshi_atawnia
It always makes me feel happy when I see individuals working through their mental health concerns.
This is amazing that you have seeked appropriate support. Please remember the therapy process can take sometime to unravel the complete picture. One month is a very short time to have complete results.
But as you have shared, you do feel some positive changes, that is so good. Hold onto that change and keep building over it.
Just keep exploring with your therapist, and work the reason behind such high mistrust, from where it stems and which was the first incident you can remember, explore these factors. Once you identify the resource, you can begin on resolving that.
This process may be long so just practice a bit of patience.
